What is Hypnosis  

 

The Brisbane Stop Smoking Clinic uses a blend of hypnosis and NLP (Neuro Linguistics Programming) to assist even the heaviest smokers to become non-smokers

Everybody is different under hypnosis, but most people feel a pleasant heaviness or lightness in their arms and legs; a feeling that while they could move them they would rather not bother.

 

Your eyes will be closed and there may be a similar feeling in the eyelids. You can hear everything that is going on around you and, in particular, the voice of the therapist, but other sounds will start to seem less relevant, your mind may drift a little and you may not be sure whether you have heard everything that has been said. It is your conscious mind that is having this doubt; your subconsconscious mind will have absorbed it all.

The Hypnotic Process
There are a large number of ways of inducing a hypnotic trance, some fast and some slow, some just using words and some physical actions.

 

Once a person has gone into trance our therapist will often use a further script to deepen the trance. This may be done with visual imagery, encouraging the client to imagine a garden, a beach or a mountain walk; or it may use an awakening of early memories; or it may be by confusing the conscious mind in some way so that it becomes preoccupied or, alternatively, chooses to go off duty.

Whichever way is chosen, the effect is to create a deeper relaxation of both body and mind, giving easier access to the subconscious mind.

 

At this point our therapist will start to offer suggestions, which may be direct or indirect, knowing that they will be taken on board by the subconscious mind, without interference from the logical, rational, conscious mind.

Although hypnotherapy is a very effective way to help quit smoking you must remember that it should not be thought of as a magic wand! Neither you nor the therapist will know everything that is in your subconscious mind; every client is unique and, while the therapy will be tailored to you as an individual, the therapist is not omnipotent.

Becoming a Non-smoker
Many of us are creatures of habit, and when it is a good habit that can be very helpful by ensuring that we do things which are necessary or beneficial.

 

But when it is a bad habit, such as smoking,  we seem to be a prisoner of our past. Despite all our good intentions to change we find that will power is not enough.

 

Our logical minds know that we should give up smoking but somehow it is just too difficult, and each time we try to change, but fail, this reinforces in us a feeling that we cannot change.

Hypnotherapy provides excellent ways of breaking the cycle of failure and so can help you to make the change that you want to make. 

 

You must want to become a non-smoker, and it is not sufficient for somebody else (e.g. a parent or spouse) to think that you should make the change. If your heart is not in it the change is unlikely to happen.